Iridium wins $400M DISA satellite communications contract

Oct. 22, 2013 - 03:45AM
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The Defense Information Systems Agency has awarded a $400 million satellite communications contract to Virginia-based Iridium Communications for global voice and data services.

The five-year, fixed-price contract will provide an unlimited number of Defense Department and nondefense DISA customers with encrypted and unencrypted voice services, according to the company. The encrypted communications be routed through a dedicated DoD gateway in Wahiawa, Hawaii, giving authorized users direct access to the Defense Switched Network, Federal Telecommunications System or Public Switched Telephone Networks.

Under the contract, users will also have access to low- and high-speed network services and secure voice and data communications for tactical environments, known as Distributed Tactical Communications System services.

“We expect the DoD’s needs for satellite communication services will continue to grow over the next five to 10 years,” Scott Scheimreif, Iridium’s executive vice president of government programs, said in a news release. “At a time when the U.S. government is operating under greater fiscal constraints, Iridium is confident that both our service and contract terms will provide an optimal solution for our warfighters and other federal partners to communicate effectively now and in the future.”

The new contract replaces a five-year agreement with DISA that ended Sept. 30. Due to the 16-day government shutdown, Iridium was forced to put in place a bridge contract to continue providing services to DoD until the new contract was awarded.